Washington man supplied chemicals used in Palm Springs fertility clinic bombing, FBI says

PALM SPRINGS, Calif. - A second suspect has been arrested in connection with a car explosion outside a Palm Springs fertility clinic last month, the FBI announced on Wednesday.

What we know:

During a press conference in Los Angeles, federal authorities revealed that Daniel Park, 32, was arrested at New York’s John F. Kennedy Airport on Tuesday night, following his deportation from Poland. 

Park is accused of collaborating with Guy Edward Bartkus, who died in the bombing of the American Reproductive Centers facility on May 17.

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Ammonium nitrate shipped to California suspect 

Officials allege that Park shipped at least 270 pounds of an explosive precursor to Bartkus and visited Bartkus’s home in Twentynine Palms, California, to conduct bomb-making experiments. 

According to the Department of Justice, Park sent the first shipment of approximately 180 pounds of ammonium nitrate to Bartkus shortly before traveling to his home, where he stayed with Bartkus from Jan. 25 to Feb. 8. Three days before Park arrived at Bartkus’s house, records from an AI chat application show that Bartkus researched how to make powerful explosions using ammonium nitrate and fuel.

During his stay in California, Park and Bartkus spent time in Bartkus’s room as well as in a detached garage "running experiments," according to the affidavit.

An "explosive recipe that was similar to the Oklahoma City bombing" was found at Park's home in Kent, Washington.

Scott Sweetow, a retired ATF explosives expert, indicated that the damage caused by the explosion suggested the use of a "high explosive" akin to dynamite and TNT. 

FBI Assistant Director Akil Davis previously called the explosion possibly the "largest bombing scene that we’ve had in Southern California."

Suspect arrested after being deported 

Dig deeper:

Four days after Bartkus conducted the suicide bombing, Park flew to Europe. On May 30, he was detained in Poland and was later ordered to be deported to the United States, the DOJ said in a statement. 

If convicted, Park could face 15 years in federal prison. 

Park and Bartkus reportedly met in online forums dedicated to the anti-natalist movement, described by Davis as bonding over a "shared belief that people shouldn’t exist." 

Anti-natalism is a fringe theory that opposes childbirth and population growth, advocating that people should not procreate. 

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Act of terrorism 

Officials have stated that Bartkus intentionally targeted the fertility clinic as an act of terrorism. 

He attempted to livestream the explosion, but the attempt failed.

What we don't know:

Investigators have not yet stated whether Bartkus intended to kill himself in the attack or why he chose that specific fertility clinic. 

The clinic provides services such as in vitro fertilization and fertility evaluations. 

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Authorities also did not elaborate on how Park may have acquired the chemical compounds used to create the explosives.

What they're saying:

Sweetow commented on the accessibility of bomb-making materials, saying, "Once you know the chemistry involved, it’s pretty easy to get stuff."

He added, "The ingredients you could get at a grocery store."

"This defendant is charged with shipping large quantities of explosive precursors to the man whose suicide bombing last month destroyed a fertility clinic in Palm Springs," said U.S. Attorney Bill Essayli for the Central District of California. "Domestic terrorism is evil and unacceptable. Those who aid terrorists can expect to feel the cold wrath of justice."

According to the FBI, Bartkus left behind nihilistic writings that are still being examined to determine his state of mind.

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